Personal injury laws are designed to protect you from other people’s careless behavior. Say a drunk driver runs a red light and hits your car—or your neighbor lets their dog loose and it bites you. In both cases, the other person could be deemed to have acted negligently and be required to pay damages to compensate you. Find out how much your personal injury claim could be worth.

What Factors Determine a Claim’s Worth?

The primary factor determining a claim’s worth is the severity of the injuries sustained. For instance, a broken arm might require emergency room fees and a few days off work. However, a shattered pelvis and broken knee could require weeks in the hospital, meaning higher medical costs, plus years of physical therapy.

In addition to medical care, you can also claim damages for lost income due to time off work, emotional distress, and pain and suffering. There is also property damage—like a ruined car—to consider. In some states, you can also file for “loss of enjoyment” if you can’t continue old hobbies or “loss of consortium” if your ailments impact your relationship with your spouse. 

Finally, if the person you are filing against acted with extreme negligence, it may be possible to demand punitive damages. These are on top of compensatory damages and are designed as a sort of financial punishment for egregious behavior.

How a Lawyer Can Maximize Your Claim

An attorney specializing in personal injury law will know all the possible types of damages you can file for depending on your state’s laws and the details of your case. This can increase the value of your claim. They can also build a strong case to increase your odds of a successful settlement.

Personal injury claims are complicated and lengthy. The larger the damages requested, the longer the claims tend to take. Letting a lawyer handle the tedious legal process allows you to focus on the future and recovering from your ailments. 

The personal injury attorneys of Goddard & Hammontree LLC in Dalton, GA, provide residents of the southeast Tennessee and Atlanta areas with knowledgeable, reliable legal services. With over 58 years of experience between the two of them, these lawyers believe in working with clients directly. When you take your case to this law firm, you’ll be communicating directly with them—not paralegals or assistants. You can review their practice areas online. For a consultation, call (706) 278-0464.